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"I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." C. S. Lewis
“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Friday, May 26, 2017

Bea Reviews Wilde Horses by Jannine Gallant

Series: Born to Be Wilde #4Publisher: Lyrical PressSource: the publisher in exchange for an honest review Release Date: May 23rd, 2017Buying Links:Amazon* | Book Depository*| iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
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Blurb, adapted from goodreads:

The Wilde brothers may
be attracted to all things fast and furious. But their spirited sister
can’t be tamed when it comes to matters of the heart . . .

The
beautiful vistas and peace and quiet on her family’s Wyoming ranch are a
balm for Eden Wilde’s soul—and inspire a gentle touch when it comes to
breaking the wild horses she loves. Though there’s no hope on the
breathtaking horizon for her love life. Until her sanctuary is invaded
by a movie studio shooting their latest blockbuster starring Hollywood’s
man of the moment.

After a personal tragedy plays out in his
real life, movie star Blake Benedict finds himself falling for the
wide-open spaces and easy going pace of Wyoming—and for Eden. Around
her, he feels safe shedding his public persona and letting down his
guard. But then accidents begin to happen on set, mishaps that could end
Blake’s career—or his life. And Eden will be forced out of her comfort
zone to save the Hollywood hero from an enemy he never saw coming .

My Thoughts:

This series has been a mixed bag. I loved book 1, book 2 was infuriating, and book 3 was good. I approached this one with trepidation, unsure what to expect but I'd been wanting Eden's story since book one. I didn't love but I did enjoy it and its second my favorite of the series.

Eden still lives on the ranch with her parents. She helps them run the ranch, has her own business breaking wild mustangs, and has a sideline of creating custom leather works. She's not happy, at all, when her parents agree to allow a movie to film on the ranch. We actually met Blake, the movie's male star, in book 1, when he was filming a different movie. Another character from that book, Ramon, appears in this book too. If you didn't read the first book, no worries, this one works as a stand alone though you might have some moments of confusion.

I liked Blake, a lot. He was smart, funny, kind, determined, compassionate, loyal, and generous. He's attracted to Eden and she's attracted to him. However, she has major reservations about getting involved with him when her heart and life are on the ranch and he's a big movie star whose life is in Malibu, California. She, like her brothers, sucks at compromise. It's a familial flaw. So many times I wanted to smack her and tell her to be more flexible and make a serious effort. She does, eventually, but only after Blake makes some changes to accommodate her. He's much more willing to put in the necessary work than she is; it helps that he's feeling restless in his life and looking for a change, while she's all no, our lives are too different, it'll never work, we're doomed, blah blah blah. She could be a real downer at times. And yet, she's a deeply loyal, committed woman who takes crap from no one. She just sometimes needs a good kick in the butt to get out of her own head and see things from someone else's perspective.

The mystery of who was behind the attacks was, to me anyway, obvious. Gallant was able to temporarily distract me, partly because the guilty party seemed too obvious and I thought the obviousness was a red herring. In fact, it was just really that obvious. I also have trouble with the fact that all four siblings in this family have been the subject of attacks and murder attempts. I know this is fiction, but it was just so unlikely and I had trouble suspending my disbelief. It's like there's a black cloud or a curse following these siblings and their loved ones, everywhere they go.

The book had witty banter, hot chemistry between Blake and Eden, interesting characters, and appearances from Eden's brothers and their significant others. I liked catching up with her brothers and I really enjoyed her interactions with their girlfriends. Once Eden stopped her whining and actually put some thought and effort into their relationship, it was fun watching them together. I rooted for them and hoped that they would find a way to keep their relationship going. The story got a little dark towards the end but everything worked out fine and the end was a solidly happy ending. "Wilde Horses" was entertaining, fast-paced, and while it was pretty predictable, it had some exciting moments. It was a good ending to the series.

I've seen this series floating around on some blogs and have been contemplating reading it. I've read a series or two where some of the books are less than stellar so I'm thinking this one might not be a bad choice. Though I tend to be a bit harsher on heroines than heroes when I'm reading.

Health Note

I've got a shoulder injury, the exact nature of which my doctor is still determining. But it's affecting my ability to type. So posts will be delayed, and comments on other blogs, as well as my own, are on hiatus until typing is less painful or not painful at all.

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